More cores and higher clock speed bring more performance to PCs and are especially valued by enthusiasts like gamers, who are among the first to adopt cutting-edge technology. The eight-core chips are made using the 32-nanometer manufacturing process, and are available worldwide.

AMD's FX chips will compete with Intel's six-core Core i7-990X Core Extreme Edition processor, currently based on the Westmere architecture and more expensive at $999. In a bid to gain the performance crown, Intel in the next few months will release an Extreme Edition chip based on its newer Sandy Bridge microarchitecture.